


Only know you love her when you let her go

by ohmypreciousgirl



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Episode Related, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-17 08:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1380805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmypreciousgirl/pseuds/ohmypreciousgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An honest talk between Oliver and Felicity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only know you love her when you let her go

**Author's Note:**

> Title based on the lines from 'Let her go' by Passenger.  
> Special thanks to chasethewind for being my beta.
> 
> Sorta sequel of [In another life you would've been mine](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1051952).
> 
> Take places between 2x17 and 2x18.

Oliver found Felicity staring at the screen of her monitor with a slight wrinkle in her eyebrows. Her motionless stance told him she didn’t hear him arrive at the office and that she was deeply involved in whatever she was doing at the moment.

“Good morning,” he greeted her softly, trying to not startle her. Her eyes averted from her screen and found his.

“Good morning,” she replied with a small smile. He handled the usual cup of coffee he always brought to her when he arrived, before he slipped into his office.

“Oh, Oliver,” she called him back as he started to walk away. He looked at her, waiting for what she was going to say.

“Roy asked me to ask you to check up on Thea at the mansion because he couldn’t go over there for…” she trailed off, waving vaguely her hand at him. “You know,” she finished.

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why didn’t he call me instead of talking to you?”

Felicity sent him a pointed look. “You told him to stay away from the woman he loves because of who he is.”

Oliver let out a long breath. “I know how hard it is, but now he’s assuring that Thea is safe. Or at least, safer than she would be if she was involved with him.”

Felicity blinked. “Do you?”

Oliver only tipped his head in silent question.

“Do you really know how hard it is for him to stay away from Thea?” she asked, leaning forward in her desk. “I mean, I’m not criticizing you, I get exactly where you're coming from, but… You’re with the woman you love,” she shrugged, her eyes reflecting the sympathy she felt for Roy.

Oliver flinched at her words, his heart sinking to his stomach. Felicity thought he loved Sara like Roy loved Thea. The wrongness of her statement burned in the back of his mind.

He saw the power Thea had over Roy’s subconscious. The mention of her name brought him back from killing a man. That was a two way street: at the same time she had a way to ground him, Thea could be the same reason he’d lose it at the wrong moment. A flash of the three arrows being delivered straight to The Count’s chest without a blink reminded him it was the right advice. They didn’t have the luxury of being more vulnerable than they already were. It wasn’t just about protecting Thea, like he told Roy. It was about protecting Roy too. Just like Oliver staying away from Felicity to protect both of them. He wished she understood that.

He swallowed hard, realizing that he could actually tell her the truth instead of just not talking about his feelings and letting her assume whatever she wanted.

It was tempting; the thought of releasing one of the many secrets he kept inside. It wouldn’t change anything, but it’d be one less thing to hide from her. At this point, he was drowning in secrets and he was tired of it.

He was tired of everything.

He shook his head, for once letting his heart take over instead of his head.

“I love Sara because we're the same. We shared a past and, at some point, we were the only people we could trust. It’s impossible to not have a solid relationship with someone after that,” he said firmly, his eyes falling from her face and fixing on her necklace. The pendant was a green stone, which made him hide a smile. He always had the same reaction when he saw her wearing his color.

“That doesn’t mean I feel the same way about Sara that Roy feels about Thea,” he whispered, his eyes rising to meet hers again. He hoped she saw the honesty in his veiled confession.

Felicity’s eyes widened in understanding. “You told Roy to stay away because you did it first.”

He offered her a forced smile, the talk they had a few months ago in this same office replaying in his mind. “I walked away before something could happen between us.”

Felicity blinked slowly in shock. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, Oliver knowing she was trying to find a way to voice her question to him.

He shook his head, holding out his hand.

“Don’t ask any question you’re not ready to hear the answer to, Felicity,” he warned her. “Because if you do, I won’t lie to you,” he promised.

Her mouth hung slightly agape as she stared at him in disbelief. She closed her mouth with an audible click, her attention averting to the cup of coffee he put on her desk. She took it into her hand and sipped it, humming slightly in appreciation.

He knew that meant the conversation was over then.

“Thank for the coffee, Oliver,” she said in a dismissive tone, her smile faltering as she tried to hold his gaze again.

“You’re welcome,” he muttered, trying to cover up his disappointment at her decision.

Oliver closed his hands into fists, giving her a simple nod before turning away to slip into his office.

He could be the one who walked away and not risk everything they built, but Felicity was the one who turned a blind eye to them.

He was still trying to decide which alternative was worse.


End file.
